Rooney Ready to Quit United !

Wayne Rooney’s agent Paul
Stretford is in China to see if he can negotiate a deal for the forward to
leave Manchester United. There are no guarantees of
success and it is thought a deal remains highly unlikely before the Chinese
transfer window closes on 28 February.

But the fact Stretford has
travelled to China is a clear indication United boss Jose Mourinho would let
Rooney, 31, go.

And if he does not leave
this month it seems certain he will go in the summer.

Rooney has fallen down the
pecking order at United under Mourinho.

The England captain has
been made aware of interest in him from the Chinese Super League for some time,
although it is not known which clubs Stretford has spoken to.

Beijing Guoan, believed to
be the favourite team of Chinese President Xi, had been seen as one of the
favourites to sign Rooney but sources close to the club have told BBC Sport
they are not interested in signing him.

Because of new
restrictions on overseas players, Jiangsu Suning and Tianjin Quanjian look like
the most likely remaining options.

However, the England
captain’s representatives have already spoken to Tianjin Quanjian and their
coach, Fabio Cannavaro, said talks did not progress.

On Tuesday, Mourinho said
he did not know whether Rooney, who has only just returned to training after a
hamstring injury, would still be at Old Trafford in a week’s time.

It is not known whether
this latest development will affect Rooney’s chances of being involved in
Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Southampton.

They had appeared to have
increased after Henrikh Mkhitaryan limped out of Wednesday’s 1-0 Europa League
win against Saint-Etienne.

If Rooney follows former
team-mate Carlos Tevez to the Chinese Super League, it would almost certainly
cost him any chance of making the seven appearances he needs to become
England’s most capped player.

Rooney’s preference is
understood to be to remain with United for the rest of his contract, which
expires in 2019, but a lack of time on the pitch is forcing him to consider
alternatives.

Rooney is United’s record
goalscorer and has won five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy
since joining them as an 18-year-old for £27m from Everton in 2004. The forward, who has
started only three games since 17 December, has said he would not play for an
English club other than United or Everton.